Rationality

Rationality contains a selection of the best contemporary writing on one of the central issues in the philosophy of social science. The contributors address themselves to questions which have increasingly become the subject of a many-sided debate between philosophers, sociologists and anthropologists: How are we to understand the beliefs and actions of other men in other cultures? Can we translate the meanings and the reason of one culture into the language of another.
This volume is essential reading for courses on the methodology and philosophy of social science and is so arranged that the student is introduced step by step to the cut and thrust of scholarly debate.

Acknowledgements vi

A Sociologist's Introduction vii

1 The Idea of a Social Science 1

2 Concepts and Society 18

3 Explaining Cargo Cults 50

4 Is Understanding Religion Compatible with Believing? 62

5 Understanding a Primitivb Socibty 78

6 The Idea of a Social Science 112

7 African Traditional Thought and Western Sciencb 131

8 The Problem of the Rationality of Magic 172

9 Some Problems About Rationality 194

10 The Limits of Irrationality 214

11 Reason and Ritual 221

12 On Understanding Ritual 240

Bibliography 269

Index of Names 273

Bryan Wilson is the author of Rationality, published by Wiley. Rationality contains a selection of the best contemporary writing on one of the central issues in the philosophy of social science. The contributors address themselves to questions which have increasingly become the subject of a many-sided debate between philosophers, sociologists and anthropologists: How are we to understand the beliefs and actions of other men in other cultures? Can we translate the meanings and the reason of one culture into the language of another.
This volume is essential reading for courses on the methodology and philosophy of social science and is so arranged that the student is introduced step by step to the cut and thrust of scholarly debate.